Research Officer I – Water Data Science

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organization: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)]

Department: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Deadline: December 21, 2025

Job Description

REF: RO/IWMI/22/25

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) seeks to recruit a Research Officer (I) who will assist in a range of activities related to the analysis of both spatial and non-spatial data concerning water, addressing the varied needs of the institution and project executions while promoting CGIAR research initiatives within IWMI’s Water Data Science Strategic Program. The ideal candidate should possess a background in remote sensing, geospatial data analysis, and Python programming.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a non-profit international research organization, serving a global mandate to improve management of water and land for food, livelihoods, and nature. IWMI headquarters is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka and one of its sub-regional offices is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. IWMI is one of the 15 research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Key Responsibilities:

• Support IWMI research team in field data collection, organization and analysis for high resolution water accounting assessments use cases.
• Assist in downloading and organizing timeseries geospatial data and organize in a way used for input to water accounting assessment frameworks.
• Support in the development of IWMI’s Open Data Cube (ODC) for managing, analyzing and visualizing water data products.
• Collaborate with other IWMI staff and support the integration of cloud-based data storage, processing, and analytical tools to support remote sensing, geospatial modelling, and hydrology research projects.
• Assist IWMI research teams in the collection, processing, analysis, and visualization of geographic data and provide mapping services.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and assist in the development of integrated solutions that address complex water resource challenges.
• Support organization and management of datasets collected and compiled by different projects implemented in the East-Africa region, and sure easy access and sharing among research staff.
• Provide training to stakeholders and partner institutions in the areas of field data collection, analysis and mapping.
• Contribute to the advancement of water data science by engaging in research projects related to geospatial modelling, remote sensing, and hydrology.
• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications and present findings at conferences to share knowledge and insights with the broader scientific community.
• Contribute to IWMI’s research for harnessing advances in digital innovations, such as new data collection technologies and AI, and in applying them to address real-life water management challenges.
• Stay updated on the latest advancements in remote sensing, GIS, and water-related data science to drive innovative solutions and methodologies.
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• Master’s degree in remote sensing, geomatics engineering, hydrology, water resources, data science, computer science, or related fields.

Experience:

• At least three years of experience working in the water-related research environment.
• Experience in the use of cloud computing platforms for big data analytics.
• Experience in Python, including experience with numeric and geospatial Python packages such as NumPy, GDAL, xarray, or similar geospatial data handling.
• Experience in the use of both open source and proprietary GIS software tools.
• Hands-on experience with satellite imagery processing for water and related natural resources management.
• Experience collaborating in interdisciplinary and multicultural research teams.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of GIS software like QGIS, ArcGIS, and other software tools.
• Knowledge of spatial database creation and maintenance, mapping and editing using tools in QGIS and ArcGIS.
• Skill in reading, understanding, developing, manipulating, and analyzing geographic information in a variety of data formats, including raster and vector data.
• Knowledge of Python programming for spatial data processing, and automation of tasks in ArcGIS using arcpy package or open-source packages.
• Knowledge of machine learning, mainly using Python based implementations.
• Good communication skill both oral and written in English

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Job Grade: HG 13

Monthly Base Salary: Birr 42,084

Terms of appointment: This is a National Staff (NS) position, initial appointment is for three years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. ILRI/IWMI offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits in line with ILRI salary applicable for its National Staff. IWMI is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence.  The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus with dining and sports facilities.

How to Apply:

Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference number: REF: RO/IWMI/22/25 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter.

All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 20 December 2025.

IWMI/ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).

To find out more about IWMI, visit our website at http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/.

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/.      

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply